Naruto of the Shichinintai
by Kenshin Akagi
Summary: Naruto, cast aside in favor of his sister the Jinchuuriki, finds the tomb of a certain band of mercenaries. Abandoning Konoha for his own path of power, Naruto sets out to show the strength of the Shichinintai.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Honestly, is anyone even reading my stories anymore? **_

_**Hell, I think I'll just start putting all my stories on Narutobase or something and closing my fanfic account.**_

On the night of October Tenth, the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure, Minato Namikaze, was forced to watch as the Kyuubi no Kitsune was ripped from his wife's body and used to attack the village by a mysterious masked man. Minato had chosen to save his two newborn children, unable to stop the masked man in time. The two had fought, Minato barely being the victor, and now he stared down the Kyuubi with his wife in his arms.

"Kushina...just hang on..." He begged of her, already knowing it was a lost cause. No one survived a Biju extraction, not even an Uzumaki. Once again, he cursed the masked man who had attacked them. If it wasn't for him...

"Minato..." Kushina mumbled, her eyes opening. "The Kyuubi...seal it in me. I'll take it when I die..."

Minato wanted to agree. He wanted the beast to suffer, knowing the pain it had caused Kushina. But the masked man was more important. "No...I...I'll seal it, using the Shiki Fuujin into one of the kids. That masked man...he'll be back one day, and I'd rather we keep the Kyuubi contained and not let it roam free...it'll reform soon after you die, anyway." He explained, and Kushina let her head go down in despair. Minato knew that she didn't want to curse one of their children with the pain of being a Jinchuuriki, but there was no other choice...

Minato laid Kushina gently on the ground, and Hiraishin'd to the house where his children were sleeping. He looked down at the crib, where both Naruto and Natsuki lay sleeping. After a moment of indecision, he picked up Natsuki, and teleported back.

Naruto lay sleeping in the crib, alone and forgotten, until ANBU found him a few hours later.

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi, newly reinstated hokage of Konohagakure, sighed as he considered his available options at the moment. Natsuki Namikaze had become the newest Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, at the cost her parents life. Minato's last wish was for her to be seen as a hero, but Hiruzen feared that enemies of Minato would attempt to target his children as payback.

"Sup, sensei."

Hiruzen turned his head to see Jiraiya standing on his windowsill, a serious expression on his face. Hiruzen motioned for Jiraiya to come into the room. "It's good to see you, Jiraiya. I had thought that you would still be in Sunagakure."

"I was. I came as soon I heard about..." Jiraiya trailed off, a pained expression on his face. Minato was his star pupil, after all. "I can't stay long, I still have to try and limit the reports of the damage that the Kyuubi caused."

Hiruzen nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Minato sealed the Kyuubi within Natsuki. Can you look at the seal? I believe it to be the Shiki Fuujin." Jiraiya nodded. "Also, there is the matter of Minato's last wish...he want Natsuki to be seen as a hero for housing the Kyuubi."

Jiraiya closed his eyes, and nodded. "Than tell the villagers. You and me both know that they'll only see her as the Kyuubi reborn, unless we tell them that she's Minato's daughter. Just assign a few ANBU to her. We both know Kakashi would protect Minato's kids with his life."

Hiruzen still looked doubtful, but eventually relented. "Fine. I'll make the announcement today."

* * *

**Eight Years Later**

Naruto silently stared at the sky in the Namikaze training ground, basking in the silence that permeated the field. His sister had gone out to hang out with her friends, leaving Naruto to sit at home and do nothing.

Sure, he could practice with his kunai, or maybe try out on his father's less dangerous jutsu, but there was one problem...Naruto was _terrible _at being a ninja. He was dead last of the academy, while his sister was at the very top. Everyone always looked at _her, _calling _her _a hero just cause Minato decided to choose her over him to be the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Naruto didn't see how that made her a hero at all; she wasn't the one who gave her life to seal the Kyuubi, after all.

The eight year old boy slowly brought his hand into the air in front of, his chakra beginning to swirl in his palm before watching as it dissipated. He frowned. Even the Rasengan was out of his reach, while his sister had managed to master it a month ago, by herself.

Well, that wasn't quite true. Natsuki was getting training from Tsunade of the Sannin, Kakashi from ANBU, and Naruto could've swore that he saw the Sandaime give her a jutsu scroll at least once. Naruto was just pushed off to the side; after all, _he _didn't have a colossal demon of mass destruction sealed into him.

"You know, I would suggest standing up to learn the Rasengan." The voice broke Naruto from his thoughts, and flailed his head wildly to catch sight of the mysterious newcomer. "Up here, Gaki." Naruto looked up in the treeline, seeing Jiraiya of the Sannin standing there.

"Oh...Hey, Jiraiya." Naruto said, standing up. Jiraiya was the one person who actually helped Naruto out with his studies and training. "I still can't get the Rasengan right..."

Jiraiya looked at Naruto with a critical eye. The boy could be talented if he worked hard enough, but Jiraiya could tell Naruto was filled with years of being passed over in favor of his sister. Well, Natsuki had training from a Sannin; didn't Naruto deserve the same?

"Hey, Naruto...how would you like to be my apprentice?" He asked, grinning internally as Naruto's head shot up.

"You...you mean it?!"

"Of course. Now why don't you show me that Rasengan again?"

* * *

**Two years later**

Naruto sat on the bench at the academy, watching as his sister talked with all of her friends. His sister, with her long red hair and looking like an almost identical clone of their mother, was the most popular person in the school. Naruto scoffed. Jiraiya hadn't been back for quite a while now, still maintaining his Spy Network. He did, however, finally teach Naruto the Rasengan, along with a few Toad based jutsu, though he did say Naruto was too young to sign the contract. He had also gave Naruto a pair of Geta shoes on his last birthday, of which Naruto wore everywhere.

Still thinking of the effects of his training, he didn't notice as Natsuki approached him. "Nii-chan!" She said happily, Naruto almost falling off the bench.

"Yeah, Natsuki?"

Natsuki looked sweetly at Naruto. "Do you mind if I go hang out with some of my friends? Ino is having a sleepover!" She exclaimed happily.

Naruto rose an eyebrow slightly, confused as to why Natsuki always asked him for permission. "Uh, okay. Fine." He said, not wanting to continue the conversation. Natsuki threw her fist in the air, and ran back towards her friends.

The son of the Yondaime sighed and stood up, not wanting to stay at the Academy any longer. He decided he would practice his tree jumping; his tree climbing was fine, but jumping from tree to tree slightly disrupted his above-average reserves. Naruto walked through the village, ignoring the looks the villagers were giving, as if they were looking for his sister.

Naruto soon arrived at the training ground, calmly walked onto a tree branch, and began jumping from tree to tree. He would go until he was running low on chakra, in order to increase both his control and his reserves.

Unfortunately for Naruto, some of the trees in the Namikaze estate had brittle branches. Naruto discovered this firsthand as he jumped on one, the branch breaking under his weight. Naruto fell to the ground, feeling slight resistance as the dirt he landed on suddenly fell into a hole that had been covered.

Naruto clutched his head. "Ouch..." Shaking his head, Naruto opened his eyes to see a small cave with seven tombs from one end to the other. The tombs were of moderate size, except for one that was massive. Naruto stood up, walking to one that had a massive halberd-like Zanbato. He brushed the dust off of the tombstone, and read, "Bankotsu of the Shichinintai..." Naruto stood up, and saw that all of the other tombs had members of the Shichinintai as well. Naruto stepped back, and began climbing his way out of the hole.

He'd make sure to come back to the site though. The Shichinintai sounded fairly interesting.

* * *

Naruto rested against a tree, silently crossing things out on a notepad. Jiraiya was sitting near him, reading a copy of his Icha Icha Paradise. When the two of them weren't training, Jiraiya would sometimes take Naruto to get some Ramen or have him edit the next chapter of Icha Icha. Naruto quite enjoyed it, and Jiraiya congratulated himself on awakening the pervertedness within his godson.

"Hey, Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence as placed the pen and notepad down.

"Yeah?"

"What are the Shichinintai?"

Jiraiya paused for a long time, and Naruto could feel a tension in the air. The Toad Sage placed his copy of Icha Icha on the ground, and spoke quietly. "The Shichinintai...I've only heard the stories. Why do you want to know?"

Naruto answered. "I've heard the name somewhere, and I was wondering what it was. Are they like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"

"No...they weren't ninja. They were mercenaries." Jiraiya seemed to be struggling with what to tell Naruto. "Look, the Shichinintai were cold-blooded killers, hired during the Era of Warring States, before Konoha was formed. They brutally massacred their targets, taking immense pleasure in the act. Supposedly, they were only defeated when they made the mistake of challenging Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. They were captured, publicly tortured for their crimes, than executed. It was the one time that Uchiha and Senju allied with one another before the creation of Konoha."

Naruto was amazed at this information. For the Shichinintai to have been strong enough to have faced The Shodaime and Madara Uchiha..."Wow..."

Jiraiya nodded. "Yep. Supposedly, Hashirama took pity on them after, and buried them in the same spot with all of their supplies. At least, that's the rumour. Madara _was _pretty adamant on burning their bodies and weapons."

Naruto nodded in stunned disbelief. The Shichinintai...all of their supplies, in one place...and for them to be as strong as Hashirama and Madara...

A smile came across Naruto's face, as he realized how he would become stronger than his sister.

**_AN: Ok, review I guess. Natsuki isn't a bitch, and actually cares for Naruto. Naruto cares for Natsuki too, he just hates how she's always called a hero._**

**_Oh, and the Shichinintai fought Hashirama and Madara shortly after they became heads of their respective clans, so no Mangekyo for Madara and no insane Wood Style techs for Hashirama. _**

**_KenshinAkagi...signing off._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Hey, should Naruto have Toad Summoning, Salamander, or both? Tell me in comments!**_

_A young black-haired boy, Bankotsu, emerged from his forge, holding his masterpiece in his left hand; a colossal halberd-like Zanbato. He was obviously struggling with the weight of it, though the sword appeared to require three men to hold, a testament to Bankotsu's strength._

_He grinned as he placed his hand on the blade, feeling the cold steel brush against his fingertips. The sword still required to be bathed in blood before its full power could be shown...the power of Biju chakra gathered around the land._

_An effeminate boy approached the forge, obviously a young Jakotsu. He looked interested at the sight of the blade. "Ah...So you did make it, Bankotsu." He said, obviously impressed at his friends blacksmithing. The sword truly was a great sight, but their was an underlying menace that sent a pleasant shiver through Jakotsu's body._

_Bankotsu nodded, pleased with the result of his work. "I call it...Banryu..."_

* * *

Naruto sat patiently in the classroom, waiting for Iruka to pass the results of the Final Exam around to the class. He knew that he had just barely passed his practical exam, failing to produce both a Bunshin or a Kawamiri. He did, however, get a perfect score his Accuracy test. He was pretty positive that his grade on the Written Exam would be high enough for him to pass, something that Naruto gave a hopeful smile towards.

The rest of the class were busy crowding around his sister, talking to her about one thing or another. Naruto didn't care that Natsuki was more popular than him anymore; he knew that he would end up the stronger sibling, in the end. He knew that he could never become Hokage, though, despite what Jiraiya said. The Village loved Natsuki too much, and with her training, parentage, and status as the Jinchuuriki, she was a shoo-in for Hokage.

Iruka, their academy teacher, stepped out of his office holding a large stack of folders. He began walking around the room, handing the folders to their respective students, occasionally giving congratulations or encouragement to try harder next time. He handed Natsuki her folder, gave a large 'Congrats!' and soon reached Naruto. "Sorry, Naruto. Try harder next time, okay?" The ten year old boy looked at his scores, ignoring the exuberant shout as Natsuki proclaimed her perfect scores, and scowled.

He knew he would get a low practical grade; he just wasn't a prodigy like his parents. But there was _no way _in hell that he got a 65 on his Written Exam. He had studied, read all of the books. He wasn't like Natsuki, who only trained for the practical...

Those fucking assholes...Naruto's scowl deepened as he crumpled the scores, tossing them to the ground as he stormed out of the classroom. This was his chance to become a ninja, only to fail because the village wants his sister to be better than him...

He had enough of the villagers and their favoritism to his sister. He knew that no matter what he did, the village wouldn't recognize him as long as his sister was around. So there was only one thing to do. Leave Konoha, and prove himself without being hidden in the shadow of his family.

It was time for the Shichinintai to kill once more.

* * *

"Suki...Natsuki!" Ino yelled in her friends face, clapping her hands. Natsuki blinked, looking away from the door she had just seen her brother rush out of. _'Aniki...'_

"So, your brother failed?" Ino asked, finally noticing her friends attention placed back on her.

"Yeah...It's weird, I know he studied really hard for the Written Exam." Natsuki said. "I don't know how I managed to get a perfect score..."

Ino scoffed. "Well, you're a prodigy, Natsuki. We learned to accept that a while ago." And it was true. Nearly all of the students in the class heard of how Natsuki became the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, was the hero of Konoha, and had training from Tsunade of the Sannin and even the Sandaime Hokage. "You shouldn't feel bad that your loser of a brother failed."

"He's _not _a loser!" Natsuki yelled, bringing most of the classes attention onto her. She blushed, shrinking down into her chair a bit. In a heated tone, she whispered to Ino. "He's a good ninja!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Sure, and his super secret training with Jiraiya isn't just him reading a bunch of porn novels. Fine, I'll take back what I said about him being a loser; he's just a pervert."

Natsuki grabbed her books and stood up. "He is not a pervert, Ino!" She said, and left the classroom, hoping to catch up with her brother.

When Natsuki got home, her brothers room was closed. Natsuki gently knocked on it. "Naruto? Are you there?" She asked, straining her ears for a response. When none came, she stepped back. "I'll make dinner for tonight, okay? I'll bring it up when it's ready..."

* * *

Naruto dropped down into the tomb of the Shichinintai, adjusting his bag strap so it was firmly on his shoulder. He stepped forward to face the tombs, and closed his eyes, saying a short prayer, before grabbing the handle of Banryu. A wave of hatred and bloodlust passed through him, threatening to overwhelm him, bringing him to his knees.

He could feel his mind starting to rip apart from the Will that had been infused within the Zanbato, his veins feeling as if acid was flowing through him. He clenched his teeth together, holding back his cries of pain as he forced himself back up to his feet. _'I...wont lose here...'._

Naruto began forcing his chakra into the blade, attempting to establish his own bond with the sword, to create his own Will upon it. Banryu was shaking in his hands, giving off a purple aura that was slowly burning the skin off of his hands. Naruto's blood began dripping down the handle, onto the blade. The blade glowed red briefly, before reverting to its normal color, and Naruto felt as the horrible presence disappeared, Banryu glowing slightly as Naruto's hands were healed. "Regenerative abilities?"

Naruto slung Banryu onto a harness attached to his back, slightly stumbling from the weight of the sword. He brushed some hair out of his face, and stepped forward to Jakotsu's grave next, grabbing the Jakotsuto next. He expected to feel pain as he grabbed it, but when nothing happened, he slid it out completely. The blade was in a crescent moon shaped, and Naruto couldn't tell that it was actually several thin blades attached to each other by sight alone. He places Jakotsuto in another harness he had crafted, and strangely felt lighter than when solely carrying Banryu.

He began gathering the rest of the supplies in the tomb, mainly involving Medical Techniques, Chakra Controlled strength, and poison recipes. He did, however, sling a small sake gourd around his waist. The smell from the gourd smelt more like oil, and Naruto theorized he could utilize it in his Toad Jutsu's.

The thought of Toad Jutsu made him think of his sensei, but he ignored it in order to concentrate on gathering everything of value out of the tomb. '_Besides_,' he thought to himself, '_Jiraiya will probably find me anyway...'_

* * *

Natsuki looked down at the bowl of Ramen in her hands, her ultimate masterpiece that Ayame had helped her create. If anything could get Naruto to forget about his failure at the Academy, it would be this.

The Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki knocked on Naruto's door, happy that she could be the one to help him be happy again. She had noticed that he seemed fit to fall into random bouts of moodiness, and Natsuki didn't know the last time she had seen Naruto give an honest smile. All the kids in the class were starting to call him weird.

So happy was she at helping her brother that she practically ran into the room after she opened the door, not noticing the several explosive tags strapped around the room with wires. The only she noticed was a body laying on the floor.

A second later, Naruto Namikaze's room erupted in flames.

* * *

Naruto stiffened as he heard the sound of his room exploding, silently looking back as he raced off in the night. It was difficult to create all of the Explosive Tags, and even harder to find a suitable body that was just around his shape to provide the skeletal remains of his body.

Maybe the explosion would be blamed on Iwagakure. Than while Konoha is focusing on a possible war, Naruto can craft a new identity for himself.

Time for the Shihinintai to return...


	3. Chapter 3

A white ceiling filled Natsuki's vision as she woke up, a pain stretching over most of her chest, and a pounding headache. She tried to get out of the bed she was in, only to fall back in pain. Her mind tried to figure out where she was, struggling with the pain from her head. Out of the corner of her eye she could see an I.V. Drip, and she could barely feel the cord connecting her to it. So she was in the hospital, than.

_'So...I'm in the Hospital. But...what happened?'_

The last thing that Natsuki remembered was bringing food up to her brother, and the sight of someone lying on the floor as an explosion filled the room. _'Oh Kami...Aniki...'_

The door to her room opened, as Tsunade entered the room. The Slug Sannin had a worried look on her face, pulling up a chair next to Natsuki and running a quick diagnostic jutsu, running her hands above Natsuki's body. Natsuki lied there, waiting for Tsunade to finish. "Tsunade-sensei...what happened?"

Tsunade looked down at Natsuki, thinking of what to tell her. She was young when she lost her brother too, and she didn't want Natsuki to feel the same pain she felt all those years ago. "Natsuki...your brother...He didn't make it. I'm sorry."

Natsuki stayed there in stunned silence, shock covering her face. "What do you mean?" She asked, before screaming at Tsunade. "What did you say, Tsunade!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"An explosion went off in Naruto's room. We found the body of a ten year old in the rubble. We don't know yet whether the explosion was caused by someone from Iwagakures Explosion Corps, or explosive notes. I...I'm sorry." Tsunade hated seeing Natsuki like this, looking so lost and broken.

Tsunade didn't pay much attention to Naruto, much to her regret. She had always convinced herself that Natsuki was the one who needed more training, more gifts to protect the village. Naruto just looked so much like his father that it was hard to imagine him as something other than a prodigy. When Jiraiya had taken over Naruto's training, Tsunade had felt as though that situation was done with.

But it wasn't. And it wouldn't be, no matter how hard Tsunade tried. Natsuki would always have the burn scars covering her chest and some of her neck. A reminder of the day her brother was taken from her.

* * *

Jiraiya watched as the squad of ANBU did their investigation of his apprentice's room, trying to conclude who was responsible for the blast that had killed the sole male heir of the Yondaime. The Toad Sage forced his tears not to fall as he thought about Naruto. In him, he had found the perfect apprentice! Hard working, willing to listen to whatever lesson Jiraiya had that day, and he was a pervert, just like Jiraiya!

Jiraiya's attention was brought to a loose wire hanging from the corner of the sealing, its ending frayed. Jiraiya felt the wire with his hand, realizing just who this wire belonged to; Naruto.

But Jiraiya knew that Naruto kept his supplies with him at practically all times, and what use would he have for hanging ninja wire? A quick look around the wreckage revealed wires attached to all four corners of the room, with a bigger piece on the broken door handle.

Either this was a well thought out trap to kill the male Namikaze...Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as a second theory hit him. Or, Naruto had decided to fake his death and make a run for it.

'_That would be the smart thing to do...he must've took advantage of both the fact that it was an explosion and Natsuki getting injured to force the Village to focus more on Internal Security than to notice a ten year old boy who should be dead escaped...' _Jiraiya thought to himself. If he took the matter to the Sandaime, and Naruto would be captured...but if Hiruzen knew, than Danzo would know, and could use the case of Naruto fleeing to place him in Root...

Maybe he should ask for a vacation, do some research, clear his head. On the way, he could find Naruto and hopefully work out some plan. If Hiruzen attempted to deny him of it, he could always cite grief as to why he needs a vacation.

* * *

Naruto walked softly in the forest outside of Konoha, Banryū and Jakotsutō slung over his back, a gourd attacked to his belt. He would occasionally withdraw Jakotsutō and attempt to slash something with it, only for his aim to be off. "Shit...this is harder than I thought it would be." And it was. Jakotsutō was a blade originally crafted for the Uchiha, requiring the Sharingan to use properly. At least, until Jakotsu stole the blade and used it better than its previous Uchiha wielders.

Naruto himself was still struggling with the fact he had successfully escaped Konohagakure, a village that would never let a child of one of their Hokage leave the village without permission. This brought dark thoughts within the young boys mind. To him, Konoha was either weak and didn't deserve Naruto, or they didn't consider him the son of their Yondaime.

The ten year old knew that there were several villagers in the latter case; Naruto had overheard Natsuki being called the Yondaime's only child, even when he was in the same room. One woman had even told him that she thought Namikaze was just a common name.

He sighed, flicking his wrist and watching as Jakotsutō slashed a tree branch. A smile graced his face when this happened, even though he was aiming for a completely different branch. "It seems...hm, the sword relies on gently movement of the wrist." He peered down at the blade, noticing the thin blades. "This sword will be difficult to master."

There was nothing for it, than. Naruto kept practicing with Jakotsutō, trying to get as much training as he could as he walked. Placing Jakotsutō on his back, he pulled out a map from his pocket. "Seems I'm heading towards Sunagakure..." He trailed off, before putting the map back in his pocket. While Sunagakure was an ally of Konoha, Naruto knew that relations between the two villages were beginning to waver. Maybe Naruto could rest there for a few days.

And so he continued down the path, his mind off of the matter of him leaving Konoha. It was time he crafted his own destiny, away from the shadow of his family.

_**AN: This story is actually pretty popular, who would've guessed? **_

_**Next chapter, Naruto meets Gaara, Natsuki starts her genin training, Jiraiya searches for Naruto.**_

_**Also, should Naruto be paired with anyone?**_

_**Please Review!**_

_**KenshinAkagi, signing off.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Hm...I'm still undecided on pairing. I'm stuck between Shion or an Oc, or no pairing at all.**_

_**Also, I have the list of the new Shichinintai. Naruto, Haku, Gen'yūmaru, Mizuru, Ryu, Shiki, and Fukuji. Last four are Oc's, but I think I've done a good job with them.**_

Naruto brushed the sweat off of his head as he finally entered Sunagakure, and marveled at the buildings that looked as if they were made of sand. The villagers would walk around him, gazing interestedly at Banryu slung over his back. Jakotsutō was hidden inside his jacket, ready to be drawn at a moments notice, and Naruto was happy to say his control over the whip blade had improved steadily over the past two days, and his strikes could finally strike his targets. It was nowhere near the precision of Jakotsu, who could slice the jugular vein of fifty men from thirty feet away, but it was definitely an improvement.

A wind blew gently across the village, gently caressing Naruto's face. There was a peculiar smell carried by the wind, however, one that made is presence known to Naruto's sense of smell. He knew it well. Carrying a recently deceased child up to ones room in the dead of night would familiarize any to the odor.

The smell of blood.

The villagers noticed this as well, and began walking ever so slightly faster than they had before. Whatever carried that smell scared the villagers enough for them to begin closing themselves within their houses, locking their doors and closing their blinds. Naruto looked around in slight confusion, admittedly amazed at the speed at which they did so. The smell was becoming stronger, and Naruto shivered as something inside him seemed to thirst for the source of the blood. He rose one hand to grab the hilt of Banryu, somehow finding a source of comfort within the murderous blade. Another gust of wind blew into the village, as the source of blood came ever so closer...

Naruto swung Banryu onto the ground, stopping a stream of what appeared to be sand from reaching up his leg. He jumped back, sweeping Banryu up and pointing it at the strange boy before him. The boy stared at him with a murderous, dead look in his eyes, which looked as though he had not slept in years. The redheaded boy had a gourd strapped to his back, which the sand was slowly leaking out of. Naruto could feel the sheer murderous intent stemming from the boy, and the chakra washing over him felt familiar...

Naruto's eyes widened as he finally realized what the chakra reminded him of. _'That chakra...this boy is a Jinchuuriki.'_ He thought to himself, narrowing his eyes. Banryu seemed to throb in excitement at this revelation, and Naruto could feel as some of the weight of the massive blade seemed to vanish, even as Banryu expanded slightly. The redhead glared at the Namikaze, and spoke in a gritty voice. "...Who are you?" He demanded, sand beginning to swirl faster around him.

Naruto smirked, swinging Banryu by its Halberd. "Heh...I'm Naruto Namikaze. You?" He said confidently, pleased by the fact someone had already asked for his name. Gaara merely looked at the blond, speaking a few minutes later. "I am Gaara, of the Sand...and Mother wants your blood." This statement was followed by a torrent of sand shooting over his shoulder aiming straight for the blond Namikaze. Naruto drew Banryu to block the torrent, slowly being forced back by the sheer amount of sand being sent at him by the Sunagakure Jinchuuriki. Naruto swung Banryu in an arc, slicing through the approaching torrent of sand as he began racing towards Gaara. "Think that can stop me, ya little shit?!"

Naruto brought Banryu straight down over Gaara's head, feeling his head become cloudy at the aura excreting from the Shichinintai blade. He smirked as the Zanbato was about to slice through the Ichibi's host, only to scowl as sand came up and blocked the strike. Naruto jumped back as sand shot from the ground, slicing through his black shirt.

"Shit...that sand is a nice defense, and faster than Banryu..." He muttered to himself, swinging Banryu back over his back. Ignoring the cries of lust that seemed to come from the blade, his grabbed the hilt of Jakotsutō. "Guess I'll need something faster..." said Naruto, swinging Jakotsutō in a coursing pattern at Gaara. His idea seemed to have worked, slicing through the few grains of sand that rose to meet him. _'Now...its my win!'_ He thought victoriously, only for Jakotsutō to impact against a wall of sand that rose to meet it as it almost reached Gaara. Naruto pulled his wrist sharply back, and Jakotsutō returned to its normal form.

_'The sand...it seems to defend him automatically.'_ Naruto placed a hand on the gourd at his waist, bringing it to his lips. Pouring a small amount of oil in his mouth, Naruto placed Jakotsutō at his side and slammed his palms together. _'Toad Style! Great Burning Oil!' _He roared in his mind, spitting fire out of his mouth in a roaming motion, spreading the flames around the street. As the flames sputtered out, Naruto looked across the charred sand, and scowled at the large dome of sand obviously protecting his opponent.

Unfortunately, Naruto was too focused on the dome of sand to notice the sand beginning to swirl around his feet. A slight rumbling was only warning as the sand began surrounding him, and Naruto reacted quickly, not wanting to see what would happen were he to be encased in the very material his opponent controls. Grabbing Jakotsutō from his side, he moved his right hand to force the blade to wrap around a nearby pole. Using all of his strength before the sand fully encased him, he began pulling himself out.

Gaara held his hand up, slowly crushing his open hand into a fist. No one had ever survived his Sand Burial...The son of the Kazekage gave a grin as he fully closed his fist. _'Sand Burial!'_

The sand crushed itself quickly, as Naruto forced most of his body out the hole formed by Jakotsutō. He felt the sand wrap around his left arm all the way up to his elbow, and then a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt. He collapsed on the ground outside of the sand coffin, blood pouring out of his crushed arm. His gourd was broken, the blood and the oil mixing together with the sand. Naruto stumbled back, his vision turning blurry as he could feel blood-loss beginning to take effect.

Naruto placed Jakotsutō on his side, and grabbed Banryu. _'Dammit! That kid...My Arm!' _He roared mentally, racing forward towards Gaara again, swinging Banryu wildly as he felt himself beginning to give in to the will of the Zanbato. Gaara blocked everything Naruto threw at him, but Naruto could tell the boy was excited, having crushed his opponents arm. Naruto roared in anger at the expressionless look on the boy. He knew the boy enjoyed this, so why not show it?!

It happened in the blink of an eye; Gaara rose one of his hands, and sand shot forth from the ground like a spear. Naruto twisted to the side, feeling the sand cut through his chest, as he forced Banryu into Gaara's guard, successfully slicing Gaara's cheek. A wave of sand knocked Naruto back into a wall, and he cried out in pain from the impact.

Gaara felt his cheek with the hand, and when he brought it away, he could see blood. He stared at the blood for a few minutes, Naruto slowly getting back up, before screaming. "BLOOD! THAT'S MY BLOOD!"

Sand began forming another dome around the unstable Jinchuuriki, before packing tightly together. Naruto could feel the demonic chakra beginning to rise again, as Banryu began throbbing within his grasp. The Jinchuuriki was beginning to release the Ichibi...Naruto narrowed his eyes, until he caught sight of how the dome of sand seemed to be darker than before.

_'How did it change color? Unless...The oil from the gourd?'_ He wondered, placing Banryu on his back and trying to ignore the pain in his crushed arm as much as possible. He withdrew a single explosive note from his pocket, and fingered it gently in the palm of his right hand. "Oy, Gaara! I know you can hear me!" He shouted, channeling chakra to the note. "I just wanted to thank you...for making your own grave." As Naruto said this, he tossed the activated explosive tag at Gaara's ultimate defense.

The effect was instantaneous, the flames from the explosion lighting the oil mixed in with the sand to create a massive burning ball of sand. Naruto could hear Gaara screaming in pain as he was burned, but he merely leaned back against the wall before collapsing on the ground, watching as the dome fell apart to show the burned, but still living body, of Gaara.

_'Looks like...I got one Jinchuuriki down...' _Naruto thought, before letting his vision waver, and falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Rasengan!"

The sound of the spiraling sphere was heard briefly in the forest clearing before a small tree collapsed from the force of the Yondaime's technique. Natsuki was panting in the middle of the clearing, giant slash marks in the ground and some of the trees, charred grass, soaking wet leaves, rocks dug up from beneath the earth, and rotating marks left gouged into tree and rock alike.

Natsuki brushed the sweat off of her forehead as she held her arm out again, trying to get as much of the Kyuubi's chakra into it as she could. For a brief moment, red chakra mixed within the blue Rasengan, but disappeared as quickly as it came. Natsuki slammed the Rasengan into a large rock, trying to increase the duration of the powerful technique. She held it there for three minutes, before finally allowing the Rasengan to fade.

"You're training mighty hard, aren't cha?" Asked the amused voice of her new sensei, Kakashi. Kakashi strode lazily into the clearing, watching as Natsuki finished her last attack and turned to him. He could tell that she was hurting from the death of her brother, and Kakashi was too. He regretted that he only focused on Natsuki, but that was Minato-sensei's last wish; for Natsuki to be the hero of the village.

Natsuki leaned against a tree, moving her red hair so it covered the burns across her neck. "I have to train, Kakashi-sensei." She said. She gave no reason, though it was obvious from the pain and anger in her eyes, that it was for Naruto.

Kakashi gave a smile. "Well, maybe I can help you. Faster you learn the jutsus, than the more jutsu you can learn."

Natsuki looked interested at this statement. "What do you mean?"

The ex-Anbu pulled out a small scroll. "Ever heard of Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes, taking notice of the strange absence of the pain in his arm, and the fact he was no longer lying against a wall but in a comfortable bed. He looked around the strange room he was in, taking notice of the multiple beds like his own; the hospital, than.

The door opened, and the last person Naruto wanted to see walked in. Jiraiya sat down next to Naruto's bed, a stern look on his face. "I finally found you..." He said, his voice full of something Naruto couldn't quite identify.

"Jiraiya-sensei..." Naruto began, wanting to explain, at least to try and say _something._

Jiraiya held up a hand, stopping him. "Why did you leave the village, Naruto." He asked sternly, and Naruto tried to look anywhere but his sensei. He could still feel Jiraiya's gaze on him, and Naruto sighed.

"I...I left, because they only care about Natsuki! The village always gives her stuff, while I'm shafted off to the sidelines, like I'm not important at all! _I _was supposed to pass! But, no they decided that their precious hero had to be a fucking prodigy too!" He yelled out, finally letting his worries be heard. "I don't even know what's so _heroic _about her anyway! Just cause dad chose her to be the Jinchuuriki doesn't mean she should she praised!"

Jiraiya stayed silent as Naruto ranted, before closing his eyes. "Fine."

Naruto froze, and looked at Jiraiya. "What?" He asked, confused.

Jiraiya opened his eyes, and stood up. "I said fine. Continue your journey. You should be able to handle whatever is thrown at you, since you defeated the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. Just make sure you keep in touch, alright?" Jiraiya said, looking a Naruto. Naruto let a grin cross his face, as he nodded. "You got it, Jiraiya-sensei!"

Jiraiya smiled, leaving the room and leaving Naruto to his own thoughts. The door opened sometime later, admitting an old woman into the room. "Ah, so you're the one who fought Gaara? My name is Chiyo."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the mention of the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. "How is he, anyway?" He asked. Sure, Gaara had crushed his left arm, but Naruto felt it was only polite to ask, considering this was the Jinchuuriki's village anyway. Chiyo waved off Naruto's concern.

"He's already recovered. You've been sleeping for two days, so the Kazekage decided to give you something out of gratitude." She said, and pointed at Naruto's left arm. Naruto raised it, and instead of seeing a stump or a bandaged mess, it looked good as new. "It's a puppet arm," Chiyo explained, "Which you can store items inside. Kazekage-Sama wanted me to thank you for defeating Gaara. The boy was losing control to Shukaku, and was becoming addicted to killing. You defeating him seemed to have caused a small change in his personality, and one for the better."

Naruto marveled at his new arm, feeling the subtle grooves and compartments within. He could fit poisons, or maybe firecrackers within his new arm. "It's magnificent...Thank you, Chiyo-san." He said, sincerely meaning it.

Chiyo just smiled. "It was no trouble at all. Now, your wounds have been dressed and healed, and since Jiraiya already left, I'm assuming you are on your own. You may leave when you're ready." She stated, before leaving as well. Naruto barely noticed this, a smile still on his face.

He had lost an arm, true; but he had also defeated a Jinchuuriki by _himself. 'One step closer...Natsuki...'_


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Alright, Gaara fight over; Naruto has shown he can fight on par with a Jinchuuriki. Surprised no one mentioned Banryu's strange behaviour during that fight.**_

Naruto walked through the streets of Sunagakure, Banryu slung over his back and Jakotsutō at his side. His left arm, which was now a prosthetic, was at his side. Naruto would occasionally make a fist with the hand, surprised at how well he could control it. He supposed that he could eventually get used to the new arm, but it would take a while after spending so much time with one made of flesh and blood.

A presence came into being behind him, and turning around Naruto was quite shocked to see Gaara, fully healed. It seems that Chiyo wasn't kidding about Gaara healing fast. Though considering the boys status as the container of the Ichibi, Naruto wasn't too surprised.

Naruto instinctively threw his hand in front of him, grabbing hold of a large sake gourd. Naruto looked at Gaara questioningly, but the Suna native was already walking away. "Thank you, Gaara!" Naruto shouted, tying the new gourd to his waist. Gaara paused briefly, his back still facing the blond. After a few seconds of brief consideration, he turned his head to look at Naruto.

"I loved only myself, and fought only for myself...and yet you defeated me. I want to know how...but I don't think you know the answer yet, either." Gaara looked as if he had more to say, but he continued walking. "The gourd is high quality...use it."

Naruto smiled, and began making his way out of the village, glad that he had finally proven his training. And so, the Rebel and The Jinchuuriki went on their separate ways, their parting on good terms.

A shame their next meeting wouldn't be as friendly.

* * *

Saki was whistling happily through the gap in her teeth (said gap given to her by a particularly drunk brute of a man) as she swept the floor of the brothel quite decently, considering her age.

She was a small, petite girl, barely over the age of seven. Her silver, nearly white hair reached to her shoulders, except for a small bang of hair which was blue, currently covering her dark hazel eyes. She was wearing a mans t-shirt and what may once have been a pair of shorts, though her clothes were far too ravaged to appear as anything other than mere rags. She was barely seven years old, but her face was sporting a moderate bruise on her right eye. Despite the obvious abuse handed to her nearly every waking moment of her existence, she still had the inner glow of childhood within her eyes.

She was an orphan, like most of the girls who were forced to work at the shady brothel. Due to Kirigakure's demands for more shinobi to assist against the so-called 'Bloodline Rebellion', the poorer female population of Kirigakure was now being forced to avoid abortions of any sort. With ruthless Shinobi, angry at the continuing war and needing a quick release prowling around the slums, it was dangerously easy for any woman to become an unwilling companion in bed for the night. Or in the alley, if there was no time.

Unfortunately, the Mizugake did not consider the fact that the poor in Kirigakure could barely feed themselves, let alone any unwanted children. Dozens of children were being placed in the state Orphanages, which rapidly became filled to the brim with orphans who were angry at everything and everyone. Most were secretly carted away to be used in hidden experiments; others, to be sent on the front lines filled with explosives in hope of drawing out any rebels.

Those orphans dumped within the gutter, however, became prime candidates for the Mizukage'a ANBU.

Saki had been lucky enough to have been placed in the orphanage with her older brother, who was born to her family when they still had some money, before the Rebellion started. He would tell her stories of a simpler time, where there was no constant fighting, when he was just an eight year old boy and she was just an infant. But the Rebellion was hard on her parents, and the siblings were forced into an orphanage together.

They had escaped a few years later though, much to her delight. When she finally saw a clear sky, she could hardly believe something so beautiful had been kept from her for years. Her brother had left her in a small town with a kind church, telling her to behave while he went to help Kirigakure finish the Rebels so there could be some form of peace for their country.

Mere days after he left, the church was burned to the ground by Rebels who were searching for a Kiri outpost in the area. Saki had run as fast as she could, and had survived for a few days by herself before a brutish man had captured her, taking her to the small brothel hidden in the islands surrounding Mist country.

"Saki, answer your betters! Dumb slut!" A voice barked out, and Saki felt her hair roughly pulled before she was thrown to the ground. She forced her self to get up enough to kneel at the foot of the man. "Y-yes, Master." She said, putting as much respect into the tone as possible.

The large man grabbed her hair and forced her up to her feet, looking approvingly at her body. "Shut up, Saki. Just cause ya might grow into a fine woman ain't gonna keen shit when ya can't keep ya mouth shut or pay attention to your hubby." He shook her head by the hair again, forcing her to nod. "Lucky for you, I have these fine gentlemen who are willing to take you off my hands, and they don't play nice, so you better remember everything I taught you, understand?"

Saki nodded her heard, and the man shook her head again. "Answer me!" He yelled in her face.

"Yes, Master." She replied, as the mans face curled up in a pleasant grin. He darkly chuckled, pushing Saki forward so she bumped into another man, who wrapped his arm tightly around her. "I ain't your Master anymore, Saki...meet your hubby." He laughed, clutching a large sack of ryo in one hand, and holding the rear end of a teenage girl in extremely scantily clad clothing. Saki watching them go, before being dragged out by the two men, her new buyers.

Saki was held roughly by one of the men, while the other began floating about the low price they had managed to buy her for. Saki kept quiet, unwilling to anger the men that now owned her. She walked along with them, occasionally stumbling from the fast pace they were walking, thinking of her brother all the while.

As if the Universe had heard her thoughts, Saki could make out the back of a figure far in front of them. Unfortunately, so could the men holding her. One of them narrowed his eyes in an attempt to get a better look at the stranger. "Who the hell is that?" He asked aloud.

His partner answered him. "Dunno...but it looks like he's carrying a halberd."

Saki's heart fluttered as she heard that. It had to be her brother, searching for her. She could remember the Halberd he carried on his back well...Saki yelled as loud as her lungs could allow. "Aniki! Help me, Aniki!"

The figure paused in his tracks, his featured still hidden by the natural mist of Water Country. He turned his head slightly, and Saki smiled. "Aniki! Over here, Aniki!"

Getting over their shock at Saki yelling, one of the men forced her against a tree. "Shut up, you dumb brat!" He yelled, holding a Kunai to her throat. Saki screamed for her Aniki to help her once more. "ANIKI!"

Several things happened at once.

The Kunai was quickly drawn over Saki's throat, a brilliant display of blood filling the air. A serpentine sword flew through the heads of the two men. Saki's body fell to the ground.

Her vision was fading as he blood flowed freely from her neck, and before it went dark, she saw a spiky haired figure stand over her.

* * *

Naruto silently walked on the mist filled path of Water country, Banryu as always slung over his back. A map was clutched in his hand, the boy trying to determine whether he was on the right island or if his map was upside down.

Naruto was searching for Kirigakure, wanting to see the infamous 'Bloody Mist' and home of the Seven Swordsmen. He figured that a village like that could have some interesting techniques he could incorporate in his own style. While it had been two weeks since his fight with Gaara, Naruto's skill with Jakotsutō was the same as always, having hit an impasse until he increased his reflexes enough to track the whirling path of the snake sword. Banryu was the same as ever, Killing Intent rolling off it constantly.

"Aniki! Help me, Aniki!"

The sudden shout of a girls voice brutally forced him back to reality, his old on the map weakening as he froze in place, lightly turning his head back.

"Aniki! Over here, Aniki!" The voice again. Naruto focused his eyes, seeing a man slam a young girl against a tree. '_N-_..._Natsuki_?' He wondered, a light throb filling his head as Banryu began beating, as if it were a heart.

"ANIKI!"

The shout, filled with fear, forced Naruto to act as he withdrew Jakotsutō, letting the blade fly through the air, straight through the heads of he two men as a Kunai was drawn upward, and Naruto began running as he knew what must've happened.

He kicked aside the bodies of the two men, peering down as the light seemed to begin leaving the eyes of the young girl. Naruto knelt down, focusing healing chakra to his hands as he placed them on the extremely bloody throat, forcing the veins to reconnect, taking away his hands only when her breathing finally stabilized and no blood was continuing to gush out.

Naruto grimaced at the sight of the large, rough scar on the young girls throat, a testament to the fact he should've been practicing in something other than his swords. It was only pure luck that he had read the basics of the medical techniques described in the writing of Suikotsu.

He leaned against the tree, waiting for only a few minutes before the girls eyes opened, her silver hair falling from her face as she slowly leaned forward from off the ground, into a more manageable sitting position. She looked at Naruto in both gratitude and what seemed like a touch of disappointment. She opened her mouth to thank him, only to feel a ragged pain in her throat, a mere rasp of a sound coming out.

Recognizing the fear in her eyes, Naruto frowned. "Sorry. I couldn't heal your vocal chords. If you want them fixed, you'll need to meet a real doctor." The girl seemed to shrink back in acceptance, seemingly fine with her lot in life.

Naruto sighed, and patted her gently on the head. "Look, do you have family around here?"

A shake of the head.

"Alright...anyone willing to take you in?"

Saki thought back to the man who had owned her, forcing to work in the brothel. He'd most likely be ecstatic to gain her back without needing to pay a refund. But Saki did not want to go back there...So she answered with another shake of her head.

Naruto frowned, and shifted uneasily. He was in Kiri for the sole purpose of training in his swordsmanship, but he could hardly leave a young girl alone by herself. Feeling a small pang from Banryu, he placed a small smile across his face. "I see...fine. I'll drop you off in the next town, okay? My name is Naruto Namikaze."

Saki smiled up at him, and began writing in the dirt with her finger. Naruto looked curiously at her as she finished.

**My Name is Saki Yunoshima.**

Naruto patted her head again, trying to emulate Jiraiya when dealing with small children. "That's a great name...shall we go, Saki-chan?"

Saki nodded happily, glad that she was no longer alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**_AN: Sorry for being late everyone! I couldn't think of what to write, and I just got my copy of Naruto Revolution...Sakura looks pretty nice in her Samurai uniform._**

A small fire was lit in the clearing, Naruto and Saki huddled around it. Saki was rubbing her arms, cold from the combination of both her horrible, ragged clothes and the cold night that had descended upon the two companions.

Naruto sat slightly farther from the fire than Saki, constantly keeping it going by tossing in a few pieces of firewood that he had found in the nearby woods. He eyed Saki shivering, and motioned towards his bag. "If you're cold, you can take a few shirts from my bag. They might be too big for you, but they should keep you warm." Saki stayed in her spot, still rubbing her arms and staring into the fire. Naruto's eye twitched, and he gently gave her a little chop on the head.

Saki pouted and glared at him, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why you're getting upset. Go ahead and use my clothes, and don't act like you can't hear me. You're mute, not deaf." The girl huffed, but began digging through Naruto's bag, withdrawing a white shirt and some shorts. A tiny plop was heard as Saki withdrew the clothing, and she gently picked up a small necklace.

It was made of string, tied together at the top. A flower hung at the bottom of it, a miniscule hole allowing the string to pass through. The flower looked beautiful, white with wavy blue surrounding the edges of the petals. Saki looked at Naruto, and pointed at the strange charm.

Naruto looked at it distastefully. "Do whatever you want with it." He said, turning his head away from looking at the charm. It had been a gift; one which he had no use for. He had no idea he had even brought it along, and believed it to be just a whim.

He sighed, tossed another piece of firewood, and glanced as the girl began changing into his clothes. She was beginning to go through the first stages of puberty, tiny mounds as breasts. Her body was covered in bruises and scars. Her body was frail, weak; she was obviously starving for a good portion of her life, and was most likely malnourished because of it. He sighed again, an brought out some fish he had caught earlier that day. He tossed one at the girl, where it hit her on the face and she pouted at him. "Eat up. I'm all for helping you out, but I don't need any dead-weight."

Saki eyed the fish hungrily, and quickly impaled it on a stick to begin heating it in the fire. Naruto leant back into the tree, closing his eyes and preparing to sleep, his mind making plans to get some food for the next day.

He would just go hungry that night.

Naruto lazily opened his eyes to the sound of lightly chirping birds, and the sun piercing through the light mist. He felt a weight shift upon him, and merely tilting his he could see the sleeping form of Saki, who was trying to nestle herself under his right arm. She was sleeping peacefully, a small smile adorning her face, and Naruto couldn't help but smile himself.

Naruto stayed for quite a while, before Saki finally stirred. She pushed herself off of Naruto, yawned, then rubbed her eyes. She stared groggily in the distance, but blinked a few times to shake the last dregs of sleep away. She caught the sight of Naruo looking at her, and her face lit up as she opened her mouth to exclaim good morning only for another rasp to spit out.

"Don't try to talk. Your chords were slit, remember? Until we find a doctor, you're going to have to respond non-verbally." He explained again, finding her frequent displays both pitiful and humorous. He shook his head as she displayed him a thumbs up sign, already knowing that by the time the day was out he would have explained her situation at least five more times.

Sak excitedly jumped up, and began continuing on their path. Naruto sighed (something he noticed he was doing a lot around her) and followed, Banryu and Jakotsuto in their positions at his back and side, respectively. Naruto adjusted Banryu again, slightly annoyed at its constant throbbing ever since he had joined up with Saki. Naruto kept feeling the urge to draw the Zanbato, but he forced himself not to, cautious at what would occur.

But sometimes, when the world was silent, he thought he could hear someone whispering in his ear...

Saki jerked his right arm down, and pointed at a small town in front of them. She smiled, before quickly replacing it with a frown and rubbing her stomach. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You want more food? You just ate yesterday!" He explained seriously, before he began chuckling at the indignant pout on her face. He gently rubbed her head, and tilted his head towards the town. "Just kidding. C'mon, let's get some breakfast."

The two walked into the town, Saki holding Naruto's right hand tightly. Naruto ignored her grip, instead choosing to peer at the residents of the small town. They all looked as underfed as Saki, but they came in all ages and genders. Naruto could smell despair in the air, mixed with the faint taste of blood.

A part of him liked it.

A few men nearby looked perverously at Saki, who clutched Naruto's arm. The blond turned his head to glare at the men, who turned around and began to ignore the new arrivals. Naruto kept his eye on them for a few more steps, but soon stopped. Some of the villagers were glancing at him and pointing at Banryu. Naruto could hear snippets of conversation amongst the crowd, which seemed to be growing larger.

"That sword-"

"-of the Rebels?"

"-Kirigakure, maybe-"

"He's so young..."

Naruto directed Saki to a small building, a collection of old food sitting atop the decrepit table. Most of the bread was beginning to grow mold, and the fish were small and at the very least several days old. Saki didn't seem to mind it, though Naruto scrunched his nose up in displeasure. He motioned to the rotting food, and looked at the Shopkeeper. "Do you have anything fresher?" He asked, quickly stopping Saki from grabbing a moldy loaf of bread. He didn't have a lot of money on him at the moment, and he was hoping to get some good food for the little he had.

The shopkeeper shook his head, and spoke gruffly. "That's all we have. With the war that's going on, food is becoming scarce. Especially since..." The Shopkeeper trailed off, seemingly realizing he was speaking to an outsider. "Point is, there's no fresh fios unless you make or catch it yourself."

Saki looked at Naruto with a frown, tears dotting the corner of her eyes as she once again rubbed her stomach. Naruto pursed his lips, but dropped some Ryo on the table. "Give me the least moldiest bread." He said, taking the still rather moldy loaf from the shop keeper and handing it to Saki. "Take the mold off before you start eating. I don't want you to get sick."

Saki nodded in agreement, before taking a massive bite of both bread and mold. Naruto's eye twitched as he chop Saki on the head. "What the hell did I just say?! Open your mouth, Saki!" He yelled, trying unsuccessfully to make the younger girl spit out the bread. He eventually stopped, and poked Saki on the forehead. "Fine. Eat your moldy bread. If you get sick I won't take you to a doctor."

Saki smiled, and happily licked her lips. Naruto sighed, but took a small piece of bread for himself. He popped it in his mouth, his face souring at the staleness. He looked at Saki, who was still happily eating the bread. He sighed once more, and popped another piece into his mouth.

"Wait!"

Naruto turned around, grabbing the top to Saki's head to make sure she turned around as well. An old man was hobbling towards them, a few men at his side. The old man stopped in front of the blond, withdrawing a cane to rest after the short rush.

Naruto rose an eyebrow, seeing the serious looks of the Old man and his men. "You need anything?" He inquired, his left hand ever so slightly shifting towards Jakotsuto. He pulled Saki closer to him with his right, and adjusted his footing minutely.

The old man nodded, his eyes darting towards Banryu then back to Naruto's face. "Let me ask you something, young man." He said, and giving no time for Naruto to give any disagreement, continued. "Are you a member of the rebellion?"

Naruto blinked in surprise, his posture slowly relaxing. "Uh...no. I'm just a traveling mercenary." This was technically true; Naruto had taken a few jobs en route to the land of Water, mostly involving protecting a few caravans from bandits. The work was far too easy, and the payment far too small to be a frequent source of employment.

The old man gave a toothless grin. "Ah, that's good. We thought, becuase of that blade of yours...ah, but we should've realized the Rebellion wouldn't employ a brat like you! Gahahaha!" The old man and his men laughed, while Naruto scowled at being called a brat. Saki began chucking too, stopping only when Naruto chopped her on the head.

The men stopped laughing, though the Old Man still snickered a bit. "Come. We don't have much travelers these days, so let us offer you a place to rest at the very least." He offered, already turning to lead them. Naruto shrugged, and held Saki's hand as they began walking to an inn.

The inn was just as decrepit as the rest of the town, and Naruto subconsciously placed his money pouch slightly deeper into his pocket. The old man began speaking to the innkeeper, but their discussion was too boring for Naruto to listen properly to. The old man had just turned around when a scream was heard outside.

"The Rebels! They're here!"

A man was knocked into the inn, his clothes sopping wet, evidence of a water jutsu. Naruto let go of Saki's hand, and pushed her to the old man. "Keep her here!" He yelled, racing outside with Jakotsuto already drawn in his right hand. Townspeople were running around yelling, a small group of ninjas terrorising them all.

A few ninja were throwing sacks of fresh food over their shoulder, obviously the hidden storage for the town. Rushing past the corpse of a young boy, Naruto swung Jakotsuto in a curving motion, slicing the chests of a few rebels. It seemed that this act finally placed attention upon him, so he stopped running and watched as five or so rebels began surrounding him.

"You think he's a member of the Seven Swordsmen?" One of them asked the man next to him, peeding at Naruto with a critical eye. The rest of the bandits looked closer, but one of them shook his head.

"No, he's too young to-" the man was cut off (literally) as Jakotsuto plunged into his throat. Naruto scowled at the men. "Seriously, you guys are just gonna stand there and talk aboit my age or are you actually going to do something?!"

The rebels stepped forward, brandishing kunai. Naruto sighed and placed Jakotsuto at his side, choosing instead to withdraw his sake gourd. "You've already lost." He stated, holding his left hand close to his mouth after taking a swig of sake. A small glint of light attracted the rebels attention to his feet, where he saw dozens of thin wires strapped around the rebels, connected to the blond's left arm.

"Shit! Water Sty-"

"Burn." Naruto blew upon the ninja wire, flames dancing across the rebels. He cut the wire, allowing the bodies to drop and continue burning while he stepped back to enjoy the flames. "Fire Style. Ten Burning Marionettes."

The townspeople slowly exited their houses to see the young boy smiling over the burning corpses of the rebels. They stood in shock, before they too began smiling and grinning and laughing in the first time in years. Some began cheering for their savior, but Naruto ignored them in favor of watching the last few wisps of life disappear from the burnt men.

A tug at his right arm brought his attention to be placed upon Saki, who looked at the burning bodies fearfully. Naruto gave her a smile, running his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry, Saki." Saki tore her eyes away from the sight, and sent a smile of happiness at Naruto.

The tapping of the old mans cane caused Naruto to turn around, and he narrowed his eyes. "I have to speak to you, old man." He said. The old man smiled, unfettered by the slight threatening tone.

"And I wish to speak to you," he said gleefully, as though he were several years younger, "Shichinintai-San."


End file.
